Dark Territory

Starred review from April 1, 2019
There are few faults with McCauley's second Sheriff Aaron Mackey western (after Where the Bullets Fly, 2018). With characters true to archetypes?Mackey is bent on justice, Deputy Billy Sunday never misses a shot, Katherine Campbell is beautiful and sensible?one can't help but notice that all of the other details necessary for a captivating western fall into place. The setting is harsh and evocative; the villain is sufficiently slimy and scheming; and even the violence is gratifying, as the punches are strong and swift and the bullets whiz by close enough to make readers' hair stand on end. The plot progresses with calculated, yet dramatic, twists and turns as Mackey links several deadly train robberies to a scheme that would take over his hometown, unseat him as sheriff, and ruin a generous railway magnate's business. The author manages to craft an ending that will strike the reader's sweet spot between being deeply satisfied and yearning for more. Folks picking up this title will likely seek out the preceding book and will eagerly wait for the next.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)